Resources

Store

U.S. intervenes in Medicare fraud case against a Louisiana cardiologist

Compliance Monitor, December 2, 2009

The United States is intervening in a civil lawsuit against a Louisiana cardiologist accused of fraudulently billing Medicare for unnecessary cardiovascular procedures, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Dr. Mehmood Patel’s criminal conviction of 51 counts of healthcare fraud is in relation to performing medically unnecessary procedures such as cardiac angiograms, angioplasties, stents, and left and right heart catheterizations. According to the DOJ, Dr. Patel’s cardiac catheterization lab, Acadiana Cardiovascular Center, LLC, is a corresponding defendant in the trial.

Fellow cardiologist, and whistleblower, Chritopher Mallavarapu filed this suit under the quitam provisions of the False Claims Act.

*MAGNET™, MAGNET RECOGNITION PROGRAM®, and ANCC MAGNET RECOGNITION® are trademarks of the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). The products and services of HCPro are neither sponsored nor endorsed by the ANCC. The acronym "MRP" is not a trademark of HCPro or its parent company.